Answered by Ustadha Shaista Maqbool
I think I have a weak bladder because I have to take extra care after urinating to make sure all the urine has released, and I usually put a little bit of tissue in the top stop any urine from exiting at the end.
Sometimes I wake up and my underwear is moist though I am pretty sure Ii did not have a wet dream, I am not sure whether some urine might have come out or whether it is madhy or wady. should I ignore it if I am unsure and just perform wudu and pray? Or should I change my underwear, wash my private parts, etc.?
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Kind.
Wa’alaikum asalaam warahamtu Allah,
[The following is all taken from the Hashiyah Radd al-Muhtar of the great Imam and Hanafi scholar: Muhammad Ameen Ibn ‘Abideen (d.1306 AH) may Allah reward him and all the scholars a goodly reward.]
The terms used:
Maniy – refers to male sperm and female sexual fluid which comes with an orgasm.
Madhy – refers to fluid which exits when aroused.
Wady – thick white fluid which exits after urinating or carrying something heavy. (Only present in men.)
The fiqh of what one does when he/she finds wetness after waking up
There are 14 possibilities in this issue:
1 – To know it is maniy
2- To know it is madhy
3- To know it is wady
4- To doubt whether it is maniy or madhy
5- To doubt whether it is maniy or wady
6- To doubt whether it is madhy or wady
7- To doubt between all three i.e. maniy, madhy, and wady.
In all the above – he either remembers having a wet-dream or does not. So this makes a total of 14 possibilities.
When one must do ghusl (in 7 cases):
A) If he remembers having a wet dream and:
1- he knows (what he sees of wetness) is maniy.
2 – he knows it is madhy.
3 – he is unsure whether it is maniy or madhy.
4 – he is unsure whether it is maniy or wady.
5 – he is unsure whether it is madhy or wady.
6 – he is unsure of it being any of them.
B) If he doesn’t remember having a wet dream [he must still do ghusl]:
*7 – he knows it is maniy. (Basically – if he is sure it is maniy, he must do ghusl, regardless whether or not he remembers having a wet-dream.
8 – he is unsure whether it is maniy or mahdy.
9 – he is unsure whether it is maniy or wady.
10 – he is unsure of it being any of them.
In cases #8-10: if he was aroused before sleep, he does not need to do ghusl.
[*For these first seven – one is obliged to do ghusl by consensus in the madhab. As for 8 to 10, this is the opinion of Imams Abu Hanifa and Muhammad (i.e. one must do ghusl out of caution), whereas Imam Abu Yusuf does not consider it necessary because of the existing doubt.]
Therefore, one doesn’t have to do ghusl:
1 & 2 – if he knows it is wady – whether he remembers having a wet-dream or not.
If he doesn’t remember having a wet-dream and:
3- he knows it is madhy.
4- he is unsure whether it is madhy or wady.
If there is no wetness, one does not have to do ghusl even if he remembers having a wet-dream, or feeling sexual pleasure or (remembers) having a sexual emission. Note: He “remembers” having a sexual emission, not that he has had one – because the context is that there is no wetness.
The woman is similar to the man except that she omits the cases with wady, as women do not have wady. (If a woman sees white cloudy discharge after urinating, this is not considered wady – it is discharge. Also, what she sees does not come from the urinal tract.) Furthermore, for the woman, the wetness must have reached her outer genital area in order for it to be obligatory for her to do ghusl. The outer genitalia of a woman is that which is apparent when the vaginal lips are naturally closed. The inner genitalia is that which is beyond this area. So if a woman were to find wetness inside the vaginal lips, this would not necessitate ghusl.
And Allah, Might and Majestic, knows best.
Shaista Maqbool